The Prince of the Shooting Star
by Sanzo Lady
Summary: Not what you may think. Rather lenghty. Noin sees a shooting star and makes a wish. Does it come true? And how will her room mate react?


Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. Okay?   
Note: This doesn't follow Endless Waltz timeline.   
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Lucretia Noin stood on the fire escape of her small apartment. The wind was cold, especially for early November. It felt more like January. But the temperature didn't bother her. She was too lost in her thoughts, gazing at the infinity that was space.   
  
As if she was trying to find him among the stars. He was lost out there. His body gone. His spirt only living in those that remembered him.   
  
It's been two years since the terrible scar to history know as the Eve Wars. Two years since the Earth and Colonies lost so many good citizens. And among them, two men with such great leadership potential. Zechs Marquise and Treize Khushurinada.   
  
"Lu, you out here?" a caring female voice called.   
  
Noin was pulled out of her thoughts. "Yeah, Sally, I'm out here."   
  
Sally Po, Noin's room mate, joined her out on the chilly fire escape.   
  
"What's brought you out here again?" Sally asked Noin, handing her a cup of warm coffee.   
  
"I was just thinkning..." Noin said wistfully, "What it would be like if he hadn't died..."   
  
Sally frowned. Every night she found Noin out on the fire escape, staring at the sky. Every afternoon Noin would visit Zechs' grave. Every morning she'd wake up to a picture of Zechs next to her bed. Sally had heard of hero worship. But this was villian worship.   
  
"Lu, if he didn't die the war would still be going on." Sally said. She never had a high opinon of Mr. Marquise, and didn't intend on growing one just because he was dead.   
  
"No," Noin said in disbelief, "Zechs wasn't like that. He only wanted to teach us all a lesson."   
  
"By decimating the Earth?" Sally retorted.   
  
Sally had pushed too far. Noin was crying. Every one knew that around Noin, the subject of the Lightening Count was very delicate. Even Heero was careful not to say anything too harsh about his former rival. But Sally had just told her best friend that the love of her life was a cruel and evil monster. And in Sally's mind, it was all true.   
  
Sally's eyes were filled with anger and resentment toward Zechs. Noins eye's held tears for her lost love. Sometime the two women wondered how they could ever get along.   
  
It was getting late, and Noin went back inside. Her motions were slow and sluggish. Nothing at all like she used to be. Lucretia used to be full of life, always ready to give her opinion, and in general a great friend. That was when HE was still around. Now Noin was an empty shell of person. She was quiet, unopinionated, she just wanted to be left to mourning.   
  
Sally watched as room mate went back into the apartment. Noin was barely alive. Well, she was physically alive, but emotionally she was dying. Did he really mean that much to her?   
  
Now it was Sally that was looking at the stars. She had heard his declaration of war. She saw the death he caused. She saw the pain he had caused. He left behind a woman that would love him until the ends of the Earth, which he almost caused, and he left behind a sister.   
  
Did Relena really matter in all of this? Ofcouse. From Sally's view point, Relena was just another point in her argument against Zechs. Relena had lost everything in her life. Her real parents, her foster parents, where both killed. And now her older brother too. Zechs didn't have to die. But he did.   
  
It was now later, and Sally decided that she should go inside too. As Sally passed Noin's bedroom she heard two peculiar things. Noin was crying in her room while watching the news on televison.   
  
"Space recon teams have managed to bring back major parts of the mobile suit Gundam Epyon. Reported peices recovered are the right and left leg, upper torso, and right arm. Pilot and White Fang leader, Zechs Marquise's body was not among the wreckage." The news anchor said with out emotion.   
  
"Jesus," Sally whispered to herself, "Does Noin figure the entire Earth and Colonies are going to speak of him with hushed voices just for her?"   
  
Unfortunately, and what Sally didn't know, was that she didn't quite whisper as low as she though, and that Noin was right behind her. Sally turned around, looking angry and sorry, but not in the way she should have been. She felt sorry that Noin was still hung up on this man.   
  
"Lucretia, get over him. He died with out thinking of what it would do to you or his sister, or anyone else!" Sally shouted.   
  
"It doesn't matter to me what he did! I love him!" Noin mumbled though her tears.   
  
"It should matter! If he were still alive, we'd all be dead!" Sally said, intending on hurting her friend.   
  
Noin's tears rolled down her paled cheeks. Her violet eyes quickly filled with that old fire. That passion. That life. Noin took a deep breath and raised her right hand.   
  
"No, Sally! Zechs was a caring," Noin said as she slapped Sally hard across the face, "Loving," another slap, "Intelligent," and another, "Man."   
  
Sally gingerly rubbed her face glaring at Noin. She knew that Noin would probably apologize in the morning. Sally then truely did feel sorry for what she said to Noin. She was trying to get Lucretia to forget about the one man she really did love.   
  
Noin was breathing heavily and her face was flushed. Even in her bathrobe she felt over heated. Noin was soon again standing out on the fire escape. Noin's eyes searched the heavens. Her eyes lit up. A shooting star.   
  
"I wish he was alive. I wish he'd come back. I need him." Noin whispered a wish.   
  
It wasn't actually a shooting star. Just a landing shuttle. But Noin didn't know that. Maybe it was better if she continued believing that the trail of light was a shooting star. And maybe it would be best if Noin still believed that Zechs was still out there.   
  
The moon had traveled more than half the sky now. It was after midnight when Noin finally went inside again. She shut off her television and sat down on her bed. Her eyes drifted around the room and finally landed on the picture of Zechs. Noin's eyes were locked on it for several long minutes.   
  
"I love you," she told the picture, as she drifted off to sleep.   
  
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"Lu! Lucretia! WAKE UP!" Sally said, shaking Noin.   
  
Noin was rather grumpy in the morning, and woke up with a grunt.   
  
"Lu! I have incredible news for you!" Sally further urged her friend out of bed.   
  
"What did all of your premiscuious behavior finally get you pregnant?" Noin asked, obviously still mad at Sally.   
  
Sally frowned, but knew she deserved that. She should apologize to Noin for saying all those hurtful things about Zechs. After she told Noin the good news.   
  
"Please, Noin, just..." Sally pleaded, "There's something on the news you need to see."   
  
Noin sat up and turned on her television. Her jaw dropped and her eyes lit up again.   
  
"And at 2:41 AM this morning a shuttle landed at the Toyko International Space and Airport. He has yet to deliver any type of statement upon his whereabouts over the past two years." The female news anchor reported with more emotion than last night's anchor.   
  
"He... He's... He's alive?" Noin asked, excitedly.   
  
In the living room, the apartment door creaked open and then latched shut. Neither Sally or Noin heard this, because Noin was so excited. Nor did they hear the foot steps approaching the bedroom.   
  
"Lucretia? Are you in here?" a deep masculine voice called out.   
  
He stepped in to room. Zechs didn't look much like how Noin remembered him. His once pale smooth face was now marred with deep scars, and he had a nasty scratch over his left eye. Zechs' beautiful waist lenght silken locks were now cut short, and it was not cared for. His clothes hung from his body in a most disturbing way. Zechs' waist must have shrunk by atleast two inches. He was barely alive. Emotionally, he still had all the love for Noin he ever did, and maybe even more. But physically, he was barely there.   
  
Noin was horrified at Zechs' appearance. She stood up and with out any hesitation she wrapped her arms around his waste. Noin felt Zechs' arms weakly find their way around her.   
  
"I love you," Noin said. There was no question of that in her voice.   
  
"And, I love you," Zechs said. Every one of his word took all his strenght, but he meant those words. He leaned down and kissed Noin. On instinct she kissed back.   
  
Sally watched all this, anger still in her eyes. He still left her. And when he does finally come back, he barely alive. He toys with Noin's emotions like they were a game. But Sally didn't care anymore. Lucretia can make her own mistakes with Zechs. Get her heart broken again. Or, was Sally just jealous of Noin's faith in Zechs?   
  
Sally pushed her way between the two lovers, trying to get out of the room. She stormed into her own bedroom, slamming the door behind her.   
  
"I know I'm jealous of her," she said out loud to herself, "But why?"   
  
Then Sally came to a shocking realization. She began to cry, and collapsed on to her bed. Sally punched the air violently and soon began to choke on her own tears. Coughing and crying she called out.   
  
"I love Zechs Marquise."   
  
The End.


End file.
